If it was suspected that I was with you, and that an expedition was on foot, the Spaniards would hear it in an hour.

Loyal as the population are here, there must be many adherents of Philip among them, and Las Torres no doubt has his spies as well as we have." The earl's orders were carried out, and half an hour later the four parties again assembled at a short distance outside the city gates.
Peterborough placed himself at their head and rode directly for the sea.
"The Spaniards are sure to have outposts placed on all the roads leading inland," he said to Colonel Zinzendorf, "and the Spanish irregulars will be scattered all over the country; but I do not suppose they will have any down as far as the seashore." When they reached the coast they followed a small road running along its margin.

Two or three miles further they turned off and rode inland till they struck a main road, so as to avoid following all the windings of the coast.

They now pushed on at a sharp trot, and just at four o'clock came down upon the little port.
Its streets were cumbered with country carts, and as the dragoons dashed into the place a few shots were fired by some Spanish soldiers belonging to a small detachment which had been sent by Las Torres to act as a convoy for the guns and stores, and who were sleeping on the pavement or scattered among the houses in readiness for a start at daybreak.
The resistance soon ceased.

Before entering the place Peterborough had placed a cordon of dragoons in a semicircle round it to prevent any one passing out.
No time was lost; the carts were already loaded, and a troop of cavalry horses stood picketed by the guns.